Commuters demand pedestrian bridge at Toyota Bus Stop

ROAD users are complaining about the absence of a pedestrian bridge at the Toyota Bus Stop on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. They said the axis, which they described as an accident spot, has become a death trap. Commuters run into trailers, buses and other vehicles, while trying to cross the road, they said.

The nearest pedestrian bridge to Toyota is at Five-Star bus stop, which they claimed is too far.

An auto parts dealer, Felix Ugochukwu, said many traders at Ladipo market have died on the expressway.

He said: “By this time of the day, a lot of people cross the road and it causes traffic because vehicles slow down for people to go. You know there are three lanes here, so most times when we come to the market, we see people crushed, lying dead on the roadside. A lot of people have lost their lives here. This place needs a bridge to help people cross the airport road after finishing from their various duties. Erecting a bridge here would reduce avoidable accidents, which sometimes lead to loss of lives. Two months ago, a colleague was crushed by a car while trying to cross the road. It is very important for government to know the problem the people are facing.”

Another trader, who simply identified himself as Lotanna, said the traffic gridlock on the highway was caused by Danfo buses, which stop to picked passengers at the bus stop.

He said: “We have experienced a lot of accidents here; something bad happened that was why I left the area I was before. When you see a trailer coming, the next thing is that they will try to climb the airport road, and in the process the brake fails and the trailer will be moving back and vehicles behind it are in trouble. Sometimes the trailer drivers run into people while trying to navigate their way out of the traffic. If the government puts a pedestrian bridge, it will be easier for people to cross. Apart from erecting the bridge, they should stop the bus driver from picking passengers from the place. They should create an official bus stop for them and not on the highway. Yesterday, a trailer was coming with speed and it hit a Hilux. The injured people were rushed to Isolo General Hospital. The one that really pained me was an importer who after selling his goods was going home with N140, 000 in the process of crossing the road, a car crushed him and he died.”

An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) also pleaded for the government’s intervention, noting that it is tedious working there.

He said: “If the government can erect a bridge here, even we working here will be relieved. The trouble here is too much. It is difficult to control trailers, tankers and bus drivers at the same time with people crossing the express. Many of those trailers’ brakes fail. So the government should provide a bridge for the people crossing the express.”